


On the Button

by pollitt



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: H5O exchange, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-28
Updated: 2012-08-28
Packaged: 2017-11-23 04:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pollitt/pseuds/pollitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve learns he doesn't like it when the shoe's on the other foot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Button

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta for her assistance and batting .1000 with titles. On the Button: To be punched on the chin or more precisely the bony point of the chin, whether it be from a straight punch, a grazing left hook or an uppercut.

"Commander McGarrett, why don't you explain in your own words why you punched Detective Williams following his successful negotiation of a hostage situation. Lt. Kelly and Officer Kalakaua both referred to the incident in their reports as 'possibly related to Detective Williams breaking protocol and removing his bulletproof vest per the suspect's request' during the negotiation. This collaborates witnesses' reports that you said 'Don't ever do that again.' Detective Williams isn't pressing charges, and as your department is not under the Honolulu Police Department's supervision, you're not facing disciplinary actions. This is an opportunity, however, for you to discuss what must have been an emotional incident, to cause such a reaction. So, why did you punch Detective Williams?"  
  
Steve had to hand it to the shrinks the HPD had on staff; they could cut to the chase with the best of them.  
  
  
Yesterday  
  
The air in the communications van is still as Steve and Kono watch Danny on the monitor -- his hands held up in a position of surrender as he walks toward the door of the credit union. As he gets closer, the door opens and the suspect appears briefly, gun in hand, to usher Danny inside.  
  
Danny steps inside and when the door closes, the operation moves to ears-only.  
  
"I still don't get why it had to be Danny. Half of the negotiators on the HPD are fathers, too," Kono says.  
  
Steve has to bite back his agreement. Now is not the time for his personal feelings to get in the way of the job -- even though it's exactly personal feelings that sent Danny -- unarmed -- into a hostage situation.  
  
Three days ago, the body of a minor lieutenant of a local gang had been found in the swimming pool of a golf resort. Yesterday, after the usual leads had turned up nothing but dead ends, Chin and Kono had discovered a connection between the gang and the president of the Honolulu Federal Credit Union, who sat on the board of the resort.  
  
This morning, Jim Higgins, 34, a father of two and the owner of a company that transferred old video tapes into digital formats, had walked into the credit union, brandished a handgun, and taken the employees hostage.  
  
After talking to Higgins's (justifiably freaked out) wife, it had been Danny's idea that it should be a parent who went in to talk to Higgins, and because he thought of it, of course it had to him.  
  
"Remember, neutral voice. Focus on his family." Steve said, smoothing the flak jacket strap on Danny's side.  
  
"I'll be my usual charming self," Danny answered, smiling, the tenseness around his eyes the only sign of nerves.  
  
"Let's hope not." There are eyes everywhere, and they have to be discreet, but Steve risks a quick brush of his thumb against Danny's neck as he squeezes his shoulders. "Be careful, Danno."  
  
It had been hell to watch Danny on that monitor, and now all Steve can do is listen.  
  
 _’Is everyone in here okay?’_  Steve hears Danny ask and he can picture in his mind the way Danny would be scanning the room, his eyes missing nothing while his face would have that “hey, I’m just a average guy, you can talk to me” casualness.   
  
 _'Take off the vest, officer.'_  Higgins says.  
  
"Don't do it, Danny. Don't even think about it." Steve says into the mic, a feeling of panic starting to rise in his stomach.  
  
 _'You know I can't do that,'_  Danny says and Steve takes a deep breath.  
  
 _'Please, officer -- '_  
  
 _'Detective. Williams. I'm Detective Danny Williams, and if you could just put the gun down Mr. Higgins and let these people go. We can talk.'_  
  
 _'I didn't mean to kill him. He was. . . He threatened my kids.'_  
  
 _'I get it. I'm a father too, and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for my little girl. But the thing is, Jim, you did kill him. And that's something you have to answer for.'_    
  
 _'The president was laundering their money. He taped the conversations. He didn't realize he gave me the tape with his family vacations. I was just doing my job and I get dragged into things I didn’t want to know about. I tried to tell him, the president, that I wouldn’t tell anyone, I swore on the lives of my family, and then he goes and sends that... that man to come to my home. To threaten my family.'_ Higgins's voice is sounding more desperate and Steve can feel the sweat bead on his neck.  
  
"Talk him down, Danny. Mention his wife's out here," he says quietly.  
  
 _'Listen to me, Jim. We've talked to the president. We know what happened.'_  
  
 _'Your vest, Detective. Take. It. Off. If you take it off I'll talk. If you take it off I won't shoot you, I promise.'_  
  
"Danny," Steve says, and even he can hear the desperation in his voice.  
  
 _'Okay. Okay, I'm taking it off.'_  The sound of Velcro unpeeling is loud in Steve's ear.  _'Now, let's talk.'_  
  
It takes another hour until Danny convinces Jim Higgins to hand over his gun and turn himself in.  
  
 _'You can come and get us now, Steven,'_  Danny says quietly.  
  
Steve is out the door of the van and pushing past S.W.A.T.-jacketed officers before Chin and Kono can start to move.  
  
There's a swarm of activity as the door opens and a pale looking guy matching the drivers license photo of Jim Higgins steps out, his hands held high above his head. Steve lets the officers swarm in and take Higgins into custody before he goes inside.   
  
Danny’s standing just to the side of the door and helping a middle-age woman who’s visibly weeping. One hand is on her shoulder in a sign of support, the other holds his Kevlar loosely at his side.   
  
Steve thinks he might be sick.   
  
“I told you that the cavalry would be coming to get us,” Danny says, giving the woman’s shoulder a squeeze before walking towards Steve. “If a horse had been around, he probably would’ve busted through the window to save the day.”  
  
Danny’s smile fades when he looks at Steve’s face, and if it’s anything like the hurricane of emotions that are swirling through his head right now, Steve can only imagine what it must look like.   
  
“Steve?”  
  
Steve looks down and when he sees the vest, still hanging loosely at Danny’s side, something breaks in him. “What the hell were you thinking, Danny? He had a gun. I gave you an order.”  
  
Somewhere in the back of Steve’s mind, he knows that is both the exact wrong thing to say and this is possibly the worst place to say it, in front of a group of traumatized former hostages who really don’t need to see him air his personal crisis.   
  
“You weren’t in there. He wasn’t going to pull the trigger. I assessed the situation and made the call. I was right. He wouldn’t have shot another family man just doing his job.”  
And it’s that comment, that mention of family, that makes Steve think of Gracie. She’d be lost without Danny if something had happened to him. And Steve wouldn’t be much better. His fist connects with Danny’s jaw before he realizes he’s moving. “Don’t you ever do that again.”  
  
Chin says his name, grabbing his arm and holding him back while Danny’s holds his jaw. “Kono, take Danny to the ‘bus and get him checked out,” Chin says, nodding at his cousin.  
  
Kono nods and leads Danny out of the building.   
  
“Don’t,” Steve says, looking at Chin.  
  
“I’m not going to say a word,” Chin promises, what might be the hint of a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. “But it’s a damn good thing he likes you, or else he might have taken that the wrong way.”  
  
Danny’s got a cold pack pressed to his jaw when Chin and Steve make it outside and head to the ambulance.   
  
“The nice EMTs here have given me the go ahead to head home, which I have gratefully accepted. And I'm driving, McGarrett so deal. Also, you have a date with a police shrink tomorrow per Mr. S.W.A.T. captain's orders," Danny informs them. “Let’s get home before they tell me I can’t wash down aspirin with a cold one.”  
  
When they pull in front of Steve’s house, Danny cuts the engine and Steve has to admit, he's a bit surprised, especially after the day they've had.  
  
"If you think punching me was going to get you out of talking tonight, you are so sorely mistaken, babe." Danny holds up his hand to stop Steve from answering. "And if you think that throwing that punch was going to mean I'd drop your ass off and let you stew in your thoughts for the rest of the night, you're wrong there, too."  
  
"Danny --"  
  
"But I am not having this conversation in the car. Not when there's a couch to park my ass on and a cold beer to help me process what happened today. Not when there is a bed that I plan to have you very naked in as soon as humanly possible. Because I don’t know about you but I have extra adrenaline to burn and I think since neither one of us is dead sex is just what the doctor ordered. So, if you will, please get out of the car and get into the house. Because the sooner you realize that every time you do something stupid like I just did today, I feel like punching you just as hard in the face--but I don’t, might I add, or you’d probably have a flat nose and a crooked jaw--the sooner we can get to the fun stuff."  
  
Danny gets out of the car, and for a few seconds, Steve sits and processes what was just said.   
“I’m waiting, sweetheart,” Danny calls from the porch, slipping his key into the lock of Steve’s front door.   
  
Steve laughs at that and exits the car, heading up the steps and into the house.  
  
Danny’s in the kitchen, popping the top of a beer bottle when Steve finds him.   
  
“You’ve got Grace, Danny. When I make those calls, it’s only me that’s on the line.”  
  
“See, here now is one of those times when I have to fight the urge to clock you. You aren’t alone anymore, Steve. You never really were, but you’re sure as hell not now. Every time you put yourself in the line of fire, it’s Mary and Chin and Kono and Joe. And it’s me and it’s Gracie on the line, too.” Danny hands him a beer. “Think of that next time you go jumping off tall buildings or running in front of speeding bullets. You’ll probably still do it, but maybe next time you’ll know. And I owe you one. And remember, I have a mean right hook. Now drink up and think of all the ways you can kiss me and make it better."  
  


ooooo

"Commander McGarrett?"

  
"He would have done the same thing if it was me."  
  


\-----

  
Danny is waiting for him, leaning against the hood of the car with his arms crossed and his tie loosened. The bruise from Steve's punch is a shadow on his jaw, but Steve knows that’s not the only mark he left on Danny last night. He doesn’t even try to hide the smirk. "So what's the verdict? Did the doc throw his hands up in the air and call you a lost cause?"  
  
"You know, for as much as you like to question my sanity, I'd like to point out that you're the one who's waiting for the person who clocked you. That's a bit crazy there, Danno."  
  
"It's why we're perfect for one another, Steven."


End file.
